Simmons voted All-League and All-State

Bobcats’ senior volleyball player gets recognized on the court

Michelle Simmons finished her Ignacio High School volleyball career with an All-San Juan Basin League first team selection and an All-State nod by the Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports.

Steve Lewis/Durango Herald file photo

The Ignacio High School volleyball team powered into the Class 2A regionals this year as part of a historic 2012 season.

The Bobcats extended that run when two members were selected to the All-San Juan Basin League Team in voting by the conference coaches.

Senior Michelle Simmons was voted to the All-SJBL first team this year  and for the third time in her high school career. Junior Angela Herrera was named to the second team.

Simmons also was named to the All-State team by the Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports. She represented Ignacio at the CCGS All-State volleyball match at Arvada West High School last weekend.

I can tell you Michelle had the support of the Telluride coach (Fawnda Rogers) to get her into the all-state game, said Ignacio head coach Thad Cano, who coached the Bobcats to a 15-9 record in his first season.

She told me that Michelle needs to be in that game, Cano said.

And there were a lot of coaches around the state that knew her from track. They hadnt seen her play volleyball, but they knew about her ... as an athlete.

Cano said the Paonia coach was impressed with Simmons from track (three-time state qualifier) and from the volleyball court.

Once she got on the court with the other Class 2A all-staters, Cano said the Bobcats senior excelled.

She did really well, and she played different positions, he said of Simmons opportunity to play middle, left side and right side in the all-state match.

Her jump serve was ... really good, Cano said. She stepped up and played better than she had been playing.

Simmons, her IHS coach said, did a good job adjusting to the different lineup combinations at the all-state match.

Often undersized, he said her jumping ability enabled her to be an effective blocker in the middle of the net.

She went in ... nervous. But she really stepped up, Cano said.

Herrera will return to lead the team next season: Shell be joined by a pair of juniors and three freshmen, Cano said.

dstrode@durangoherald.com

Ignacios Cotton picked for a national grant

Ignacio High Schools Pamela Cotton is getting a little help to play at the next level.

Cotton, who competes in basketball, cheerleading and track and field for the Bobcats, won a National Athleadership Grant sponsored by the National Collegiate Scouting Association and NFL Players Association to help Cotton find a college that best matches her academic and athletic achievements and goals.

Our passionate team of 300 former athletes will personally guide and educate Pamela throughout the entire recruiting process, giving her the tools that she needs to be successful in recruiting and in life, said Chris Krause, chief executive officer and founder of NCSA Athletic Recruiting, in a news release.

The grant is awarded to select student-athletes across the country in all sports based on their academic and athletic achievements, community leadership and written essays.

It gives Cotton free access to the NCSA, including its recruiting management system, a professionally edited highlight video and ACT/SAT preparation, which normally costs a membership fee starting at $50 a month.